National Association of Home Builders Economic Research Blog

Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August
Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August
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Single-family permitting activity continued to soften through the first eight months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year. Regional and state-level trends show ...
Research Highlights the Broad Benefits of Homeownership
Research Highlights the Broad Benefits of Homeownership
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A rich, peer-reviewed academic literature finds that homeownership produces benefits that extend well beyond house-price appreciation. As detailed in a 2003 Journal of Urban Economics literature review, research across economics, ...
Building Material Price Inflation Nears Four Year High
Building Material Price Inflation Nears Four Year High
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The Producer Price Index for final demand was up 1.3% in September, after rising 0.5% in August. Compared to a year ago, final demand prices were up 6.3%. The price ...
How Old Are Workers in the Construction Trades?
How Old Are Workers in the Construction Trades?
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A previous post examined the median age of the overall construction workforce and how it compares with workers in all industries. This analysis takes a closer look at workers in ...
Labor Shortages a Growing Problem
Labor Shortages a Growing Problem
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Labor shortages in the home building industry are becoming more widespread, according to recent results from the NAHB/Well Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) survey. The September 2026 HMI survey asked ...
Inflation Accelerated in September
Inflation Accelerated in September
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Higher energy prices pushed inflation to a four-month high in September, keeping pressure on the Fed as inflation has remained above its 2% target for more than five years. Gasoline ...
Existing Home Sales Increased in September
Existing Home Sales Increased in September
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Existing home sales rose after three months of declines as improved inventory gave buyers more negotiating power. As buyers wait for rate relief, homes are sitting on the market longer ...
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Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending January 5th, total mortgage activity increased 9.9% from the previous week, and the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate rose five basis points to 6.81%. After the total mortgage activity index fell 10.7% in...

According to the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report, total consumer credit outstanding totaled $5.00 trillion (seasonally adjusted) for the first time in November—a 5.7% monthly increase (seasonally adjusted annual rate). The increase reflected a 17.7% surge in revolving credit and a more modest...

The year-over-year (YOY) growth rate for residential building worker wages decelerated to 0.6% in June 2023. Over the past five months, wage growth accelerated moderately and reached 4.0% in November. Overall, average hourly earnings for residential building workers* increased at a relatively slower pace in...

December’s jobs report concludes another solid year of job hiring in 2023. In December, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 216,000, and the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7% for the second month. Job gains moderated in 2023 with an average 225,000 monthly employment growth...

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states and the District of Columbia in November compared to the previous month, while 13 states lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 199,000 in November, following a gain of...

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2023. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the percent change in real GDP increase ranged from 9.7 percent in Kansas to 0.7...

Due to tightened monetary policy, the count of total job openings for the economy continues to move lower. This is consistent with a cooling economy that is a positive sign for future inflation readings. In November, the number of open jobs for the economy declined...

NAHB analysis of Census data shows that private residential construction spending rose 1.1% in November, after an increase of 2% in October. It stood at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of $897 billion. Total private residential construction spending is 3.7% higher compared to a year...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. At the end of 2022, Natalia Siniavskaia provided a new estimate for the current size of the U.S. housing deficit: The Size...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In November, we reported on recent declines for custom home building construction starts. Declines for Custom Home Building

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With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In October, Rose Quint examined consumer survey data showing growing buyer interest in the third quarter: Housing Demand Caught Between High Rates...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. In March, Jesse Wade reported on recent geographic shifts for home construction. Single-Family Market Share Continues to Shift from Large Population Centers...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Two such posts focused on the aging housing stock, a key driver of remodeling and new construction conditions. In February, Na Zhao...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Jing Fu provided a recent analysis of recent metro price dynamics. Home Prices Continue to Rise in September

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With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Trends concerning building material pricing were examined monthly by David Logan. In May, David reported on a pivot for aggregate building material...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington provided recent year-to-date estimates for building permits, including top ten lists for single-family and multifamily markets. Single-Family Permits Down in...

With the end of 2023 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted the most readers over the last year. Two such posts focused on home prices and construction costs. In November, Natalia Siniavskaia examined 2022 Census data to report regional differences...

Elevated mortgage rates acted as a drag on new home sales in November, but with the economy now apparently past peak interest rates for this cycle, sales are expected to rise as we move into the new year. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in...

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